Parents to be fined £1,000 for taking children on holiday during term time

Lancashire County Council has warned parents that they could be fined up to £1,000 if they take their children out of school to go on holiday. Letters were sent out last week in the county notifying families about the steep penalty for those who go against the rules and take pupils on cheap holidays during term time.

"This system is still at the pilot stage but please be aware this may come into effect at any stage.”

Since September 2013, headteachers in England have no longer had the discretion to approve absences of up to 10 days a year for family holidays in "special circumstances".

The new rules introduced tougher criteria of "exceptional circumstances", restricting it to absences for events such as funerals of family members.

Lancashire issued 7,575 fines for school absence

Lancashire issued 7,575 fines last year, up from 6,876 in 2016-17, a sign that its policy was not deterring unauthorised absence.

Councillor Susie Charles, cabinet member for children and schools, said: “We are considering any possible action that could be taken in the future to reduce unauthorised absences. This is at an early stage.”

But the Supreme Court later overturned that ruling, saying "regular" attendance meant "in accordance with the rules prescribed by the school".

Meanwhile, in 2017, Severn Vale School in Quedgeley, Gloucester, changed its term times so that parents could take advantage of cheaper holidays outside of the official UK holiday time - and so they wouldn't be punished.

Term time expense

Headteacher Richard Johnson: "The issue of holidays is a very vexed one for parents and we're aware of the considerable frustration about the expense of holidays. The [school's] two week break in October offers another opportunity to get away.

"The change also reduces the amount of time that working parents have to provide childcare during the summer."

The price of a typical half-term holiday is up to three-and-a-half times higher than usual, research has revealed, while flights are nine times more expensive.